This weekend was the final off-weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series the entire season. Needless to say, it was needed considering what the last two weeks have been for some drivers.
Looking at the last couple weeks, the biggest story to encompass all NASCAR fans has been the saga dealing with Jeremy Mayfield. I was in Darlington on May 9 when Mayfield was first suspended for violating the substance-abuse policy, and needless to say I was in utter shock. What I didn’t expect was the soap opera-like fiasco to come from it.
Mayfield claims pre scri ption pills and allergy medicine caused him to test positive, then NASCAR had proof of methamphetamine in his drug tests. Mayfield then wins an injunction to have him reinstated to compete, but NASCAR then gets a second positive test for methamphetamine and wants his suspension reinstated.
This saga has no winners. NASCAR’s drug policy has been tarnished since the drivers had to hear from media reports of what Mayfield tested positive for instead of hearing it from the sanctioning body. Mayfield’s career is pretty much over. I cannot see how he can come back from such a scandal.
The other big story that is still being talked about was the last lap of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona when Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch got together on the front stretch coming to the checkered flag.
Questions of whose fault it was surfaced immediately when the flag fell, but in all reality, after watching the videos, it was restrictor-plate racing that caused the accident. Busch blocked Stewart once, cutting off his momentum, and Stewart did the correct thing and went the opposite direction. Busch blocked again, but the position was taken and Busch got sent into the wall.
Had the positions been reversed, I’m sure Stewart would have done the same thing and it would have been he who went into the wall. No one did anything wrong, it’s just the style of racing that caused the drivers to react that way.
This upcoming weekend will be the annual trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Allstate 400. This race one year ago was a complete disaster. The tire Goodyear brought to the track was too hard for the surface and began wearing severely after only ten laps. They wore to the point where cords were showing as early as five laps into a run. Goodyear couldn’t bring a new tire at such short notice, so they rationed the tires they did have and then NASCAR threw cautions to prevent drivers from going more than 11 laps under high speeds.
Even with the cautions, drivers didn’t go full-throttle the entire race. Only after the race ended did NASCAR and Goodyear apologize to the fans, owners, drivers and the speedway for what had happened. Since then, multiple tests have been done to get the correct compound for both the car and speedway, and drivers are confident it’s going to be a better race.
During the last four years, two drivers have won this race, and they are my favorites for this week. First, the hometown boy, Tony Stewart. “Smoke” grew up around the speedway and dreamed of going to victory lane in his race. He did it first in 2005 and once again in 2007, accomplishing that dream. Based on how he has run this year, no one can bet against Stewart.
The other driver I say will be a threat is also a good bet, especially since he’s the reigning Sprint Cup Champion and defending champion of this race, Jimmie Johnson. He won the final run to the finish last year and came back from a blown tire in 2006 to win this race, so don’t count out the Lowe’s team. This is when he gets in stride and starts preparing for the Chase, so keep an eye out.
My dark horse in this race is going to be Kevin Harvick. As a former winner of this race, you would think he’d be among the favorites. However, based on how he’s run the last few years, that is not the case. Harvick has not won a race since the 2007 Daytona 500, and his results this year have been less than impressive.
Still, I would not be surprised if he suddenly got out of his slump and made it to victory lane. Watch out for the Shell/Pennzoil car.
Coverage of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard will start at 12:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPN, who will broadcast the next seven races.